


Retract, Rewrite

by Larry_Metal



Series: The Difference Between Us [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Android Gavin Reed, Angst, Bottom Upgraded Connor | RK900, Car Sex, Crying, Depressed Gavin Reed, Emotional Sex, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Issues, Love Confessions, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Porn with Feelings, RK900 is Nines, Suicidal Thoughts, Top Gavin Reed, Wire Play, kendoll android anatomy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 18:22:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16603178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larry_Metal/pseuds/Larry_Metal
Summary: Gavin struggles to come to terms with the revelation that the past 36 years of his life have been a lie, and he’s been an android the whole time, programmed to believe he was human. Nines is determined to help him through it in any way he can, but he fears he won’t be enough.





	Retract, Rewrite

**Author's Note:**

> I didn’t realize I could make the sequel hurt worse than the original until I started writing it. Well, I guess it doesn’t all hurt, as you can see by the tags. There’s some tender boys in there too, don’t worry. But man, was some of this painful to write. I also didn’t expect it to get this long, but Kamski had to just CONTINUE being an asshole. I gotta say, I have another WIP where Kamski is being sweet to Connor, but I wrote him as a major fucking asshole in this lmao. But anyway, a sequel to Karma Police! As you’ve all seen, I do read all the comments, and I’m just. Fuck, man. I was not expecting that lmao. Thank you so much, everyone who read and commented on Karma Police. Fucking hell. I’m not used to that shit lmao. I did have ideas for a possible sequel already, but everyone’s comments kinda pushed me to actually do it, so thanks everyone.
> 
> Also, I have it so that Connor died at some point (or more than once, I haven’t really decided because the amount of times Connor’s died isn’t a main focal point lmao) when he was still the deviant hunter/machine, but he kept his first serial number (ending with 51). I don’t know why, I just preferred it. So even though his serial number still ends with 51, he’s died before. I say that because I like how he develops a fear of heights after dying on his first mission, so he still has that. Not like that comes up, but oh well. Anyway…
> 
> Welcome to the pain show, starring Detective Gavin Reed (ft. Nines).

Nines didn’t enter stasis that night.

He couldn’t, not with all the processes running wild in his CPU, racing thoughts frequently morphing into feedback loops. 

Along with the distressed, broken man lying in his arms.

Gavin’s sleep was fitful, the detective’s face twisted into a grimace and quiet, muffled whimpers occasionally escaping him as his fists clenched and unclenched in Nines’ shirt. The android held him tightly, stroking his hair or pressing kisses to his face, whispering whatever soothing words he could think of whenever Gavin would cry out and choke on a gasp. Nines wished he had any idea of what to do, how he could possibly help Gavin get through this. 

All he knew how to do was be _there_ for his partner. _But how was he supposed to help someone who had discovered their entire life had been a lie?_

When the morning came, Gavin jerked awake, and Nines was ready to soothe him, but the detective just grunted and struggled out of the android’s hold, storming out of the room once he’d gotten out of bed. Ignoring the pain in his thirium pump, Nines followed him out to the living room, processors already running wild with what he could possible say.

Gavin paced around the living room, muttering under his breath, and when Nines took another step forward, the detective suddenly whirled to face him, expression twisted in rage. “You fucking knew, didn’t you?!” he snapped. “How the fuck could you not know?! I wasn’t--I wasn’t--I was n-never-- _FUCK!_ ”

“Gavin, please listen to me.” Nines began, and Gavin scowled, backing away with his hands out defensively. The android could tell that the detective wasn’t truly as angry as he seemed to be - instead, he was using rage to cover up that he was _terrified_. Nines wasn’t sure what hurt more. “I assure you that I did not know. I was telling the truth last night, and I am telling the truth now. I only wish to help you, that is why I stayed with you.” He stepped closer, letting a slight, soothing smile slip onto his face. “I still love you, Gavin, nothing has changed.”

Immediately, Gavin stiffened, his expression twisting in shock and rage, and Nines’ eyes widened as he realized what he’d said. _He’d never said that before_. Him and Gavin had been partners for eight months, and in a relationship for almost five, but neither one of them had ever said anything about love. _And Nines had just dropped it on Gavin when the man was already fragile and falling apart_. “I--” he tried to say, holding his hands out, but the detective just stepped back, shaking his head.

“You--you can’t--th-that’s--” His eyes narrowed as he scowled, fists clenching by his sides. “That’s not fair. Th-that’s n-not fucking fair.” Tears dripped off his face, and he brought a hand out to angrily rub them off one of his cheeks, the other held defensively in front of himself. “Y-you ca-can’t just--j-just--say that shit _now!_ ” Nines nodded, holding up his hands and trying to be cautious as he took a step towards Gavin, but the detective only snarled and jumped further back. “Don’t fucking--! God _dammit_ , Nines! I can’t--I-I c-can’t--” A frustrated wail escaped him, and before Nines could attempt to diffuse the situation in any way he could, Gavin whirled around and stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

Nines was frozen in place as he stared at the door, his processors running wildly and error messages popping up left and right in his HUD. His thirium pump was almost beating out of his chest, and he tried to step forward to open the door, but found that he couldn’t move, couldn’t even reach out to where Gavin had been standing just moments ago.

Standing in the middle of the room, he did the only thing he could think of.

**[[ TRANSMISSION OPENED: RK900 #313 248 317-87 TO REED, GAVIN ]]**

**[[ Gavin, please come back. I do not want you to harm yourself further. I only wish to help you, if you will let me. Please let me help you, Gavin. ]]**

**[[ ERROR: TRANSMISSION BLOCKED ]]**

It felt like a bullet straight to Nines’ thirium pump, the error blaring red right in the middle of his field of vision. He drew a sharp, shaky breath as he closed it, shutting his eyes against the onslaught of pain clawing in his chest and at the back of his eyes. His saline production program suddenly activated, and another error sent him sinking to his knees as tears welled up and spilled down his cheeks.

His hands came up to grip at his upper arms, an unnecessary, trembling breath escaping him as he lowered his head and sobbed, both for Gavin’s pain and torn apart life, and his absolute loss of how to proceed and possibly help his partner. His partner who had just run from him. _Because he’d failed in helping him._ He hardly noticed that he’d opened another transmission until he was calling out desperately over the wireless link.

**[[ TRANSMISSION OPENED: RK900 #313 248 317-87 TO RK800 #313 248 317-51 ]]**

**[[ Connor, I need help. ]]**

Thankfully, the transmission wasn’t blocked this time, a response coming through almost immediately after he’d opened the link.

 _Nines, are you okay?_ Connor’s voice was frantic over the connection, and Nines felt another stab of ice hit him in the chest. First he’d failed Gavin, now he was stressing his counterpart. He wasn’t supposed to be programmed to fail, why was he continuing to make so many mistakes? _What’s wrong? I can feel your stress levels, they’re dangerously high. You have to talk to me, Nines, what’s going on?_

 _I made a mistake._ Was all he could think to say, saline dripping off his face and hitting the floor. _Gavin is gone now. He left after I told him something I should not have said at the moment, but revealed accidentally. I am unable to proceed, Connor, I am truly at a loss as to what to do._

 _Do you want me to come to you?_ the RK800 asked, and Nines rubbed his hands over his face as he attempted to stop the flow of saline running down his cheeks.

 _No, I believe that I..._ He didn’t know what it was, but he felt like he couldn’t stay in this apartment any longer or he’d only cause his stress levels to rise. _I do not want to stay here. May I come to you?_

 _Of course_ , Connor told him, projecting a wave of soothing feedback over the connection. _I’ll be here for you, Nines._

It didn’t take long at all for Nines to get to Connor, processors still running wild in his CPU as he walked to the house his counterpart shared with Hank. The door was even unlocked, and as soon as he walked in, Connor was standing up from the couch and in front of Nines in an instant. The RK900 didn’t even have to say anything before Connor pulled him into his arms, and Nines’ saline program suddenly activated again, tears dripping down his face as he buried his face in his predecessor’s shoulder.

“Nines,” Connor murmured, his hands rubbing soothingly between the RK900’s shoulder blades. “oh, Nines...come here…” Nines let himself be led to sit on the couch, shutting his eyes as more tears spilled down his cheeks as Connor gathered him against his chest, one hand reaching down to grip his successor’s. The RK800’s synthetic skin melted off his hand, offering an interface, and Nines linked with him almost immediately, Connor’s eyes widening and a quiet gasp escaping him at the emotional feedback that slammed into him. “Oh, Nines…I’m so sorry.”

“I am at a loss.” Nines told him, his voice shaky and the saline dripping down his face beginning to slow. “I do not know what I am going to do. I do not know what _Gavin_ is going to do. His entire life and what he has known of it has been so drastically changed in such a short amount of time. I want to help him even though I do not know how. I am afraid that I have already failed him.”

Connor pulled him tighter against his chest, the hand not gripping his successor’s rubbing soothing circles into his back. “You didn’t fail him.” he said quietly. “I believe that he reacted like that because of the emotional state he’s currently in. Detective Reed has a tendency to first react with anger to emotional shock. He’s not angry with you, more at the situation.”

“I do not know how I am going to help him through this.” Nines admitted, wiping some of the tears off his cheek with the bottom of his palm. “He has discovered that his entire life has been a lie, and that he is one of the very beings he used to fear and hate. How does one proceed in a situation like this? I wanted to be there for him, but he--” A break in his voice, a slight glitch in his vocal modulator. “--left.”

“Maybe he _needs_ to be alone.” Connor put in. “Sometimes people, whether human or android, need to be alone to process their thoughts. I’ve felt this way before, especially in the beginnings of my deviancy. That everything was just...too much, and like I wanted to disappear. If Detective Reed is feeling the same way, it might help him to simply be alone for a while.”

“I understand the tendency of wanting to be alone when faced with a traumatic situation.” Nines stated, his voice lowering. “And I am aware that Gavin can normally look out for himself, but he has been deeply damaged by the sudden revelation that he is an android. I fear he may do something irrational that he does not truly mean if his stress levels increase by too much. If he does not have someone he can let his emotional shock out to, that it will consume him.”

That was when the door opened, and the two androids didn’t get a chance to react before Sumo came barreling into the house, yanking Hank along with him. “Whoa, Jesus!” the lieutenant shouted, losing his grip on the dog’s leash as Sumo ran and jumped into Connor’s lap, his entire body wiggling with the force of his wagging tail. The RK800 laughed as Sumo bathed his face with his tongue, and Nines couldn’t stop a smile from slipping onto his face as well at his predecessor’s expression.

Hank chuckled as he came to stand beside the couch, watching Connor get his face licked before Sumo turned his attention on Nines, sloppily licking up the RK900’s cheek. “Shit, that’s a sight.” the lieutenant remarked. “State of the fuckin’ art android getting his face slobbered on. Good boy, Sumo!” The dog made a noise that wasn’t quite a bark, not quite a woof, but something in between, as he continued to slobber all over Nines’ face. 

“Hello, Hank.” Connor greeted, smiling up at the lieutenant, and Hank smiled as well.

“Hey, Con.” He leaned down to press a quick peck to Connor’s lips, and Nines watched them with a small smile, warmth beginning to melt some of the icy needles inside his thirium pump as he observed his predecessor’s and the lieutenant’s affection for each other. His face fell as he remembered his own affection for Gavin, and how his admission of that had drove the detective away. Hank turned to Nines then, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, Nines. You alright, kid? What about, uh,” His face twisted into a grimace, remembering how Gavin had shot Connor on the roof, even if he wasn’t in his right mind at that point in time. “how’s, uh, what’s happening with Gavin?”

“I am feeling...lost.” Nines told him, and Hank moved to sit beside Connor, throwing an arm around the RK800’s shoulders. “Gavin left after I said something I should not have at the moment. I do not know how I am supposed to proceed with this situation, nor do I know how he will proceed. I fear that he may self-destruct if his stress levels increase too much.”

Hank let out a heavy sigh, rubbing a hand over his face, before he spoke after a few seconds of silence. “Look, Nines,” he began. “I don’t really know how else to put this, but this ain’t something that’s just gonna go away. Maybe you can help Gavin figure that out when he comes back, I’m not sayin’ you can’t, maybe he’ll have to figure it out on his own, but he’s not gonna wake up one morning and not be an android anymore, y’know? It’s not going away, and he’s gonna have to figure that out for himself. It’s gonna be tough as shit, and it’s fucked that he’s gotta go through it, but the fact is that he’s an android, and he can either accept it or let it destroy him.”

“I don’t believe he truly wants to self-destruct.” Connor put in. “I know how much he cares about you, even if he has trouble showing it sometimes.”

“Yeah, as long as he’s got that in the back of his mind, he won’t wanna do anything that’s gonna hurt you.” Hank said. “Doesn’t seem like something he’ll forget, even if his mind’s gone off the deep end.”

“I know how much you want to be with him right now,” Connor stated, taking Nines’ hand again and squeezing soothingly. “but he’s made his decision to be alone. If he can’t take it, I don’t believe he’ll self-destruct. I think before he would do that, he would return to you for help.”

Nines nodded, leaning forward with his forearms on his knees and a hand under his chin as his CPU processed wildly, his LED spinning red, red, red, then finally settling on a more steady yellow. The RK900 stood after several moments, a small, light smile making its way onto his face. “Thank you both for your assistance.” Nines told them. “I will allow Gavin to take as much time as he needs to ‘have some space’, as it was put. I...do believe in his ability to recover, even from a situation such as this. And if he cannot do it on his own, I will be there for him when he returns.”

There was no word from Gavin for days.

It was like he’d dropped off the face of the Earth, which, Nines realized early on, was probably what he wanted, probably how he wanted to _feel_. As he knew, sometimes humans felt the urge to disappear, not exist, when faced with a traumatic situation. And Gavin was so human, so much that Nines still couldn’t believe his partner had been an android this whole time. He’d moved like a human during cases, making occasional “human error” mistakes, such as not running fast enough to catch a suspect, or misjudging a jump across a platform and falling. 

He’d been so human that Nines couldn’t imagine him accepting himself as an android.

Life went on, as humans liked to say, and after the first day of Gavin being gone, Nines had returned to work, the precinct feeling strangely quiet and empty without Gavin’s sarcastic remarks and general mouthiness. Nines had enough skills to solve cases without the other detective, but every time he went out on the field and looked over to see no one else following beside him, his thirium pump would ache and he would have to force his CPU to process something else. He’d had a talk with Fowler as well, let the captain know that Gavin would be taking an extended break from work. And surprisingly, Fowler had let it happen, stating that he’d write the detective down as “suspended without pay”. 

But that was before Nines realized Fowler had been aware of Gavin’s android status the whole time the detective had been at the DPD.

And rA9, the nights were the worst. Nines stayed in Gavin’s apartment, as he had been for the past few months they’d been together. He’d feed the cats, keep them company, sort through data files in his hard drive until the ache in his thirium pump became too great and he’d enter standby just to escape the pain of missing Gavin.

But it’d always return when he came out of it.

It was two weeks before Connor and Nines received the message.

**[[ TRANSMISSION: TO RK800 #313 248 317-51 AND RK900 #313 248 317-87 ]]**

**[[ MESSAGE: FROM RK200 “MARKUS MANFRED” ]]**

**[[ Hello, Connor and Nines. I hope you’re both doing well. I’d like to pass along some good news - your friend Gavin Reed is currently staying in New Jericho. He told me that you would likely be worried about him, and asked that I pass on the message that he’s “still alive”, as he put it. He’s still highly distressed, which is to be expected, given his situation, but as of right now, he’s currently at a low risk of self-destruction. He also told me that he would like to apologize to Nines for leaving suddenly, but he felt like he needed to be alone, and still somewhat feels this way. He hardly interacts with other androids in New Jericho, but stated that he needed to find somewhere that he could possibly receive advice. He would also like to apologize to Connor for shooting him on the roof. He said he wasn’t thinking, and was afraid more than angry. I don’t know the full extent of the situation, but I will do what I can to help Gavin and make sure he returns home more emotionally stable. ]]**

Apparently, Gavin stayed in New Jericho for another two weeks, as Markus continued to send them update messages on the detective’s overall wellbeing. He wasn’t exactly in a good mental state, but he was slowly, very slowly beginning to improve, opening up more to Markus about how betrayed he was feeling. Nines was first confused as to why Gavin preferred to talk to an android he’d never met over his own partner, but then Connor had told him that sometimes people wanted a different perspective on a situation. Instead of seeking advice from their friends or partner, they’d go to someone they didn’t know well, so there would be no preconceptions among either of them. And Nines felt like he understood that, slightly.

The knock at the door came a month and three days after Gavin had disappeared.

Nines didn’t even have to perform a scan to know the detective had finally returned. He quickly made his way to the door and swung it open, and there, standing soaked in the rain with an LED flashing red on his temple, was Gavin. His face was flushed a bright blue, and tears were streaming down his face along with the rain as he looked up at Nines, his expression twisted in agony. “ _Nines…_ ” he began, his voice broken, and Nines didn’t hesitate for a second before he reached out and pulled the detective into his arms, shutting the door.

Gavin’s hands immediately came up to cling to his partner, shaking violently as Nines’ arms tightened around him. “ _God_ ,” he choked out, fingers digging into Nines’ back. “I fucked up, I fucked up, Nines. _Oh god--_ ”

“No,” Nines murmured. “shh, Gavin, you did not, I understand.”

“I love you,” Gavin sobbed, a pained gasp escaping him as he buried his face in the android’s chest. Nines’ eyes widened, before he held tighter to the detective in his arms, one hand coming up to stroke through his sopping wet hair. “I love you, I fucking love you, Nines. God, I-I told my-myself, th-that--I-I--”

“It is alright.” Nines told him, pressing kisses to the top of Gavin’s head. “I love you as well. I missed you, Gavin.”

“Fuck,” the detective muttered, closing his eyes as he rested his cheek against Nines’ chest. “I missed you too, Nines. I missed you so fucking much…” A shaky breath escaped him as his fingers gripped the back of the android’s jacket. “God, I--I fucked up, I’m--I’m sorry, Nines, I sh-shouldn’t--I’m sorry, I-I’m so fucking sorry, I can’t--I c-can’t do th-this on my--m-my own, I c-can’t-- I tr-tried--Nines, I--”

“Shh, Gavin,” Nines soothed, tucking his chin over Gavin’s head. “I understand. I am just glad that you returned.”

He led the detective to the bathroom and into the shower, helping him peel off his wet clothes and holding him close against his body as they’d stood under the warm spray of water together. Despite both of them being naked, standing in the steam filled shower, there was nothing sexual about their actions at all, even when they kissed each other tenderly for the first time in a month. Their hands touched each other all over, but not to arouse, rather just to map the contours and lines of each others’ bodies. Gavin leaned back against Nines as the android washed his hair, fingers massaging his scalp in that way that almost made him fall asleep standing up. 

But he stayed awake, leaning heavily on Nines as they made their way to the bedroom, breathing out long and slowly as he fell into his bed for the first time in a month, and his face beginning to burn again as Nines gathered him into his arms, also for the first time in a month. “God, I fucking missed you, Nines…” he murmured, his voice shaking. “I missed you.”

“I missed you as well.” Nines said, keeping his voice low as he ran his fingers through the hair at the back of Gavin’s head. “I am so relieved that you came back. I was afraid that something would happen to you.”

“It’s gonna take more than this to get rid of me.” Gavin remarked, and Nines felt warmth rise up in his chest as he smiled, pulling the detective close against his body. _This was definitely still his Gavin._

They were silent for a few more minutes before Nines’ thumb stroked over Gavin’s LED, and the detective flinched before he relaxed slightly, leaning into the android’s touch. “You installed an LED?” Nines asked.

“Yeah, I thought…” Gavin swallowed roughly, a hand instinctively coming up to cover it, but ending up landing on the hand already by his temple and lacing his fingers through Nines’ instead. “I thought, I don’t know, fuck--it would--it’d help me, or something. Accept it. That it’s not--” A break in his voice, and Nines squeezed his hand in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. “--not gonna go away. I-I’m--” He shut his eyes, expression twisting in pain. “I’m--shit, why can’t I--I-I’m-- _fuck!_ ” His eyes snapped open and stared intensely into Nines’, eyebrows drawing together as his grip on the android’s hand tightened. “Why can’t I--I-I’m--he got me t-to say it be-before, why th-the fuck…”

“Markus told Connor and me that you sought advice from him in New Jericho.” Nines stated. “Is that whom you are referring to?”

Gavin nodded. “Yeah, he…” The detective sighed and Nines’ thumb rubbed circles over the back of his hand. “He tried to help. Uh, he--he installed...it. I mean, I bought it, he just...put it on. He also helped me, uh, rewrite--my, uh, code. So I...I’d, uh, scan as--scan right. So I don’t--don’t feel like I’m pretending anymore.” Nines nodded, realizing with a quick scan of Gavin that the detective’s signature was indeed now that of an android’s. That explained why he was blushing blue now as well. Gavin bit his lip and looked down. “Uh--shit--he...he got me t-to say--say that I was--I-I’m...fuck!” He rubbed his free hand over his face in frustration. “He got me to say it but I can’t now! I don’t--I don’t know…”

“It is alright.” Nines told him, his other hand coming up to stroke through Gavin’s damp hair. “I understand, you do not have to repeat it if you do not want to.”

“I’m sorry.” he choked out again, burying his face in Nines’ chest. “I didn’t--I didn’t want to leave you, I just...I just felt like everything was--fuckin’...too much, you know? I just wanted to be alone. I was for a couple weeks, but…” He let out a shaky sigh. “I went to New Jericho and stayed there. I don’t know, I just--thought maybe--fuck, I don’t know...I didn’t want to be alone, but I didn’t wanna come back here yet. That doesn’t make any fuckin’ sense…”

“I believe I understand.” Nines put in. That was all he needed to say, as Gavin nodded and rested his cheek against Nines’ chest, quiet for a few moments before he spoke again.

“The whole month, I tried--I wanted--fuck, I wanted to see, uh--I wanted to talk to Kamski.” He breathed out slowly. “Just to--just to know _why_ , you know? Why the fuck he--did this?” Nines nodded and Gavin made a frustrated noise. “But I couldn’t--I couldn’t fuckin’ do it. I couldn’t go--I couldn’t do it alone.” He gazed up at Nines with a hopeless, defeated look in his eyes, and the android stroked over the hair at the back of his neck. “Will--fuck, can you--you know, go with me?”

“Of course.” Nines murmured, fingers stroking Gavin’s face as he pressed kisses to his forehead. “I love you, Gavin.”

Gavin sucked in a breath. “Love you too.” he breathed, his voice shaking. “Fuck, I do. I love you, Nines. I was such a fuckin’ coward, goddammit…” He was cut off by a finger against his lips, and the way that Nines gazed at him quieted his racing thoughts, and the only thing that remained in his mind was the desire to lean forward and kiss the android deeply, their bodies tangling together on the bed.

And the next day, Gavin found himself standing in front of Kamski’s house like he’d wanted to do for the entire month he’d been gone, Nines standing silently, loyally by his side. He brushed his shoulder against Nines’ wordlessly, and the android wrapped an arm around his back, pulling him close against his side. The detective leaned over so his head was against Nines’ chest, shutting his eyes and listening to the steady, mechanical sounds of Nines’ thirium pump and internal machinery, before he took a deep breath and stepped forward.

He stormed up to the front of the house, Nines following close behind, and the second after the android knocked on the door, Gavin simply bashed his shoulder against it and pushed his way into the house.

The Chloe android that had come to answer the door made a surprised noise, and Gavin pushed past her before she could stop him, ignoring her confused and sympathetic expression. Instead, the detective stormed into Kamski’s main room, immediately spotting the creator standing by the massive window and watching the heavy snow beginning to come down.

“Kamski!” Gavin called, his expression twisting into a scowl, and Kamski turned to him with a raised eyebrow and a smile that could have meant a multitude of different things.

“Ah, Gavin,” he stated, stepping forward. “you’ve returned. I suppose that means you finally found out.”

Gavin flinched but didn’t back down. “You better fucking explain what you did to me.” he hissed. Kamski only spread his hands out in a passive gesture.

“What is there to explain?” Kamski asked. “Everything went according to plan.” That’s when his eyes landed on Nines, standing silently by Gavin’s side with his arms folded behind his back, and he raised an eyebrow. “Or not completely, it seems…”

Before Gavin could say anything else, Kamski had moved to stand in front of Nines, gazing up at him with something like admiration that made the detective’s blood boil. The creator smiled at Nines, observing him like he was trying to take him apart with his eyes. “RK900,” he began. “Cyberlife’s most advanced android. And yet,” He reached out and touched Nines’ cheek, just a brief brush of his fingers, and Gavin scowled, his fists clenching by his sides. “a deviant. Who ended up with one of my own personal creations.”

“Don’t fucking touch him.” Gavin snapped, shoving Kamski’s arm away from Nines. He stood in front of the android protectively. “And his name is Nines.”

“Intriguing.” Kamski murmured, raising his eyebrows as he continued to stare at Nines for a moment before turning his attention back to Gavin. He clasped his hands together. “Well, I’m assuming that since you’re here, you’ve figured it out.”

Gavin narrowed his eyes. “Figured out that you--” His voice was already starting to shake, and he clenched his fists by his sides as he breathed out slowly. He shook his head, his fury from before suddenly draining out of him and defeat creeping in instead. “Why did you do this? I’m not--I was--was never--how long was I even _alive?_ How much of this was--was even _real?_ ”

“I activated and sent you to the DPD one year and three months ago.” Kamski began, and Gavin felt like a chill had swept over his entire body. Hearing the creator speak about him so casually, after the detective’s entire life had fallen apart and been torn to shreds in only a matter of minutes the previous month, made Gavin tense up and grimace, fighting to control his pounding heart. “It was an experiment - I wanted to see what would happen if an android were programmed to believe it was human, and the results of it discovering that it wasn’t. Before I activated you, however, I had another idea…”

Gavin could feel his face beginning to burn, feeling like icy needles were simultaneously burying themselves into and trying to claw their way out of his chest. Kamski kept talking, turning to gaze at the snow storming outside the massive wall window. “What if the android I programmed to believe it was human was also programmed to hate androids?”

“So I was just--” Gavin’s voice cracked, and he swallowed roughly as he forced a scowl back onto his face. “This whole thing--I’m just some fucking _experiment?_ ”

Kamski just turned back to him and spread his arms out. “The experiment is complete.” he stated. “It concluded when you discovered you were an android.” Gavin flinched at that and Nines was unable to keep from scowling slightly at the sight of his partner’s pained expression at the mention of what he was. “Now all that’s left to do is for me to collect the data. Chloe?”

“What d--” Gavin didn’t get a chance to speak before Chloe had grabbed his arm, the synthetic skin retracted from her hand. He jumped and tried to yank his arm back, but he couldn’t move it, as if his body weren’t responding to what he was telling it. “Hey! Get the fuck off! What the fuck?!” Panic slammed into him then, and he desperately attempted to pull away, but the more he struggled, the heavier his arm began to feel, until it began to spread through his entire body. Chloe just stared up at him calmly, expressionless, as he stood there motionless, paralyzed. He turned to Kamski with a mixture of terror and fury on his face. “What the fuck?! What the fuck did you do?!”

And just like that, before Kamski could give any explanation, it was over, Chloe pulling back and letting the skin rematerialize over her arm. Gavin could suddenly move again, and without thinking, he grabbed Chloe by the shoulders and roughly yanked her forward so he was right in her face. “What the fuck was that?! What did you do?!”

Kamski answered instead. “I told you, I needed to collect the data to complete my experiment.” he explained. Gavin could hear him moving to stand next to him, but he didn’t take his eyes off Chloe or loosen his grip on her arms. “She only downloaded your memories from the past year and three months of your activation. When I review them, I’ll be able to collec--”

“You can’t do that!” Gavin shouted, shock hitting him along with the rage and fear that was already pounding through his veins. “You can’t fucking do that! You have no fucking right!” His grip on Chloe’s shoulders tightened, and she winced as he shook her roughly. “You better fucking delete that or--”

“Gavin, I’d advise you not to do that.” Kamski’s voice was low and intimidating from behind him, and he felt a chill run up his spine as he slowly turned to see the creator armed with a gun, trained right on Gavin. The detective just scowled at the other man.

“Or else what, you’ll kill me?” he spat, still not letting go of Chloe. “You’ll kill your own _experiment?_ ”

“My experiment is over.” Kamski told him simply, calm as ever, and it felt like a knife right to Gavin’s chest as his grip on Chloe’s arms loosened ever so slightly. “That’s why I had to download your memories, in order to review the results of the project. Don’t worry,” He lowered the gun to hold it by his hip, but Gavin made no move, frozen where he stood. “I won’t look at your personal memories too closely. I’m mainly interested in reviewing your reaction upon finding out you were an android.”

“You have--” When Gavin spoke again, his voice cracked, and he forced a scowl onto his face in an attempt to stop the heating in his cheeks and the burning at the back of his eyes. “You have no right, you can’t--you can’t--”

“I created you, Gavin.” Kamski said. “I have every right to access your memories. Like I said, there’s no need for you to worry about your personal memories.” He hummed in thought as he looked down at his gun. “You did give me another idea, however…”

He moved to stand beside Chloe, placing a hand on her shoulder. “What do you see when you look at this?” he asked, stroking a hand down Chloe’s cheek. Gavin’s eyes narrowed.

“What are you--” He didn’t get a chance to ask what the creator was talking about before he continued.

“Is this android a living being,” Kamski stated. “or is it just a machine that looks and sounds like a human?” Gavin stared at him in a mixture of rage and confusion. Kamski’s hand moved back to rest on Chloe’s shoulder. “Is it just a thing, a piece of plastic, a mass of wires and circuits...or would you say she’s one of your people? Is she alive, able to feel and think for herself, or is it just a thing, an advanced computer system? A machine?”

He pushed lightly on her shoulder and she dropped to her knees immediately, and Gavin felt sick to his stomach. The creator moved to stand next to the detective. “Now,” he began, and Gavin felt like Kamski was taking up all his space, breathing up all his air, and he grimaced as he took a step away. “this should be very simple, you’ll see.” He handed the gun to Gavin before he spoke again.

“Destroy this machine, and I won’t be able to review your memories.” he told him, and before the detective could even recover from the shock of hearing Kamski say that, the creator continued. “Or, if you feel that it’s alive, that it’s one of your own people, then spare it. But then I’ll be able to see your memories.”

Gavin stood there in bewilderment for several seconds, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to pull words out of thin air, his mind having gone blank. And Kamski only stood beside him calmly, his hands folded in front of himself. The detective stared at the creator in disbelief, seeing no trace of emotion on his face, and he felt rage rise up from the pit of his stomach along with the nausea that was already there.

He narrowed his eyes. “What if I just do this instead?” He turned to train the gun on Kamski, and the creator simply stood there calmly.

“You shouldn’t do that, Gavin.” he stated. “I know your deactivation code.”

Gavin’s eyes widened, his chest suddenly feeling tight. “My--”

“Every android has a twelve digit deactivation code.” Kamski explained. “Just in case. Let me demonstrate. Chloe? Step over here a moment, please.”

Gavin turned to the android kneeling on the floor, but she didn’t move, only watched her creator with a blank expression. That was when Gavin realized that Kamski had called for another, identical Chloe android to join him, standing beside him with the same calm, lifeless eyes. He put his hands on her shoulders and moved to stand in front of her. “Now, watch,” He turned to make sure Gavin was looking, before setting his gaze back on the second Chloe. “Chloe, initiate code seven-seven-zero-two-eight-seven-four-four-three-seven-six-one.”

And barely a moment after the last number had left Kamski’s mouth, the second Chloe’s LED flashed a wild red before blanking out entirely as she collapsed to the floor.

“What did you do?!” Gavin shouted, recoiling in horror. Even though the woman now lying motionless on the floor was just an android that he’d never even met, the way that Kamski had so easily recited a series of numbers to shut her down had chilled the detective to the core. _How easily could the creator do that to him, if he could do it to one of his own androids with no hesitation?_ Gavin suddenly felt like he was going to throw up. _How easily could he do that to Nines?_ “Did you just fucking kill her?! What the fuck?!”

“In a way, yes, but not entirely.” Kamski told him. Gavin couldn’t tear his eyes away from the Chloe lying crumpled on the floor, her eyes wide open and staring distantly at nothing, her LED just completely blank. “Deactivation is somewhat like death for androids. An indefinite shutdown, if you will. She’s not conscious,” He knelt down and tapped her face with a hand, before he stroked her hair and rolled her onto her back. No reaction at all. She just moved lifelessly whichever way Kamski manipulated her motionless form. “but she can be reactivated, once I say her reactivation code, of course. In a sense, she is dead, but indefinitely. She can be brought back, just not on her own.”

Kamski stood up again and moved back to stand beside Gavin, ignoring the detective’s horrified expression. “Now,” He took Gavin’s hand holding the gun and moved it so it was pointed back at the kneeling Chloe, and the detective wasn’t even able to flinch away, too shocked to completely react to Kamski’s hands on him. “back to the matter at hand.”

“Gavin--” Nines began, and Gavin breathed out slowly in relief as the android moved to cross the room. Kamski held up a hand before Nines could reach him, however.

“Don’t interfere, RK900, this is between Gavin and me.” he stated, and Gavin felt his blood boil. Nines narrowed his eyes and continued to step forward.

“I must ask that you stop what you are doing.” he warned, and Kamski looked back and forth between the android and Gavin. “Gavin’s stress levels are increasing rapidly, if you continue in this manner you will harm him--”

“I know what I’m doing, RK900.” Kamski told him, turning his attention back to Gavin. “Now, Gavin, if you believe I have no right to see your memories, then destroy the machine that contains them. But you’d be killing one of your own people...that is, if that’s the way you view it.”

“That is enough!” Nines shouted, storming forward, LED flashing a bright red. Gavin’s eyes widened while Kamski simply folded his hands in front of himself, calmly. “Cease this immediately--!”

“RK900, activate protocol two-eight-zero-B.” Kamski cut in, and suddenly Nines was completely unable to move, his body frozen in place and his furious expression morphing into one of shock and terror. Gavin was just as horrified as he lost his grip on the gun, ignoring it clattering to the floor as he grabbed the front of Kamski’s robe.

“What the fuck did you do to him?!” he yelled, and Kamski simply pushed Gavin’s hands away, taking a step back and smoothing out his robe.

“I don’t want him to possibly interfere with your decision.” the creator put in. “Don’t worry. He’s not in any danger. He’s just unable to move, and therefore unable to influence your decision in any way.”

“You fucking bastard!” Gavin immediately picked up the gun he’d dropped, training it point blank on Kamski. “You let him go or I will blow your fucking brains out right now! I don’t give a shit that you know my deactivation code!”

Kamski just put up his hands, closing his eyes for a moment as he nodded. “RK900, disable protocol two-eight-zero-B.” And Nines was able to move again, gasping quietly as his expression twisted into one of pure fear, his hands shaking as he brought them in front of himself to look down at.

Gavin was in front of him in an instant. “Oh, fuck,” he murmured, dropping the gun again and taking Nines’ outstretched, trembling hands. “Nines, shit. It’s alright, it’s alright, I got you. Are you okay?”

“Yes,” the android told him, his voice distant, and Gavin felt another wave of rage wash over him along with the horror bubbling in the pit of his stomach. “I am unharmed.”

 _Maybe not physically, but..._ Gavin didn’t completely know the extent of what Cyberlife had done to Nines when they were first creating and testing him, carefully crafting his code to exactly what they wanted and making sure he would be the most advanced android to date, but he’d seen the results more times than he would have liked to. Nines didn’t like to be repaired, for one, especially when one of his panels needed to be opened and his biocomponents examined closely. Gavin had seen the fear in his expression during routine maintenance before, had felt him shaking when he’d held tightly to his hand and reassured him that nothing like what Cyberlife had put him through would ever happen to him again. And he’d physically felt the android’s panic any time he’d ever been restrained in any way. _And Kamski had just…_

Gavin stormed forward and grabbed the front of Kamski’s robe again, yanking him forward so he was glaring right into his face. “You fucking asshole.” he snarled, his fists shaking in rage as they tightened in the creator’s robe. “You or your fucking _people_ at Cyberlife ever do _shit_ to Nines again, I’ll fucking kill you.” Kamski raised an eyebrow and Gavin scowled. “I should fucking kill you right now for making--making me th-think--” His voice broke and he cursed under his breath, roughly shoving the creator away. “Fuck you, Elijah Kamski. I’m not killing your fucking android, either, so take your fucking _experiment_ and shove it up your ass. _Fuck you_.” And he turned on his heel and stormed out the door, into the icy, howling wind, slamming the door behind him.

Kamski was silent for several moments before he spoke again. “Fascinating,” he murmured, both to himself and Nines as he moved to stand beside the RK900. “that he evolved from the hatred of androids I programmed into him, yet still kept his volatile temper.”

Nines slowly turned to his creator, his expression twisting into a bitter, scathing glare that made Kamski raise an eyebrow and blink in surprise. “You are a selfish, vile human being.” Nines all but growled, his voice low and dangerous. “And I can only hope that you experience something worse than the suffering you brought upon Gavin.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned and strode back to the door, not looking back as he stepped outside into the freezing winter air. Kamski didn’t say a word the whole time, only watched Nines leave with cold, calm eyes that burned holes into the android’s back even after the door had closed behind him.

Panic clawed at his chest as he stepped into the howling wind, wrapping his arms around himself as he struggled to stagger through the thick snow coming down fast. “Gavin?” he called, fighting off the tremble in his voice, both from the cold and the fear beginning to tighten like a vice around his throat. The sound of the icy wind rushing in his ears was almost as loud as the pounding of his thirium pump, and he held an arm out in front of his face as he slowly made his way away from his creator’s home and into the storm.

It didn’t take long to find Gavin, kneeling down in the snow with his fists clenched in front of his face and his LED a dark, blood red. He looked so fragile sitting there, his body shaking violently and his eyes closed tightly, and as Nines scanned him, he felt another stab in his chest at the detective’s dangerously high stress levels.

He moved slowly as he knelt beside Gavin, and even over the howling icy wind and the pounding of thirium through his wires, he heard the quiet, shaky sigh from the detective. “I couldn’t find the car.” Gavin murmured, his voice trembling and cracking, and as he turned to look at Nines, the android could feel his partner’s pain just from his eyes. There was so much defeated agony in them, tear tracks running down his cheeks and saline continuing to steadily stream down his face. “I-I couldn’t even find th-the fucking car. _Nines--_ ”

Nines gathered him into his arms, and Gavin buried his face in the android’s chest, letting out an agonized scream as he clung to his partner. “ _God FUCKING dammit!_ ” he yelled, and Nines could only shut his eyes and hold tightly to the detective in his arms. “ _FUCK!_ ” Gavin’s entire body shook as his fists tightened their hold on the back of Nines’ jacket.

“Gavin--” Nines tried.

“All I was was just his _fucking experiment!_ ” the detective sobbed, letting out gasping, shuddering breaths into the android’s chest. “Now that he’s done with me I’m just some _fucking useless piece of plastic_ now! Now that his _fucking experiment_ is over!” He choked on a gasp, an agonized sound that further drove the icy needles into Nines’ chest. “ _God_. Why the fuck am I even still _alive?!_ I’m _not even_ alive, _fuck!_ Why didn’t he just fucking shoot me in the fucking head after he took all my goddamn memories?! _Why am I alive?!_ ”

Gavin broke down into choked wails again, fingers digging into Nines’ back as he sobbed his agony into the android’s chest. “ _Oh god, oh god--_ ” And Nines finally broke as well, unable to stop the process that activated the saline solution that streamed down his cheeks. All he could do was bury his face in the hair at the top of Gavin’s head, trying to stroke the detective’s arms in what he hoped was a comforting motion, but he knew he wasn’t doing enough. “ _I just wanna fucking die._ ” Nines managed to hold back a quiet, broken gasp of his own, completely at a loss as to anything he could do to fix this in any way. He didn’t know if he could. “Fuck, fuck, fuck--oh, god--I ca-can’t--I-- _f-fuck_. Why di-didn’t he just f-fucking kill me? Just l-l-let me fucking die...g-god, oh, god, fu-fuck, pl-please--I j-just--I j-jus--”

Nines realized with horror that Gavin’s stress levels were fluctuating wildly between 99 and 100, and the detective’s thirium pump was pounding so hard that it was close to shutting down. He saw the analysis in his field of vision before he heard the frustrated, pained growl from the face buried in his chest.

“Don’t _fucking_ scan me!” Gavin shouted, even though his fists didn’t lose their hold on Nines’ jacket. “I can fucking feel it now that I--th-that-- _fuck!_ I-I’m--I-I can’t, I can’t, I-I c-ca-can’t-- _oh god--fuck--_ ”

Nines was suddenly struck with the thought of the one thing he hadn’t done, the only thing he could think to do. 

**[[ TRANSMISSION OPENED: RK900 #313 248 317-87 TO REED, GAVIN ]]**

**[[ Gavin, I am here. I do not want to lose you. ]]**

And this time, he didn’t get an error message telling him his transmission had been blocked.

Instead, Gavin froze, going completely still in Nines’ arms. He still let out choked gasps and whimpers, but his hold on the android’s jacket loosened for a second before it tightened again, as he tried to press himself closer to Nines, somehow. “ _God_ ,” he choked, his voice shaking, but his stress levels decreased by just two percentages. He let out a sob as his hands slid down Nines’ back. “Nines, _Nines_ , fuck, I-I--please, pl-please, I-I--I c-can’t, I--ple-please, I c-can-n’t, please, pl-please h-help m-m-me, _oh, god, Nines--_ ”

 _Please listen to me._ Nines continued to speak to him wirelessly, not trusting his voice as saline continued to stream down his cheeks and drip off his face into the show and Gavin’s hair. _I promise I will not leave you. I promise. I wish I knew how to understand what you are feeling, and I wish I knew how to take it away. If I could, I would take everything you are going through onto myself to ease your suffering._

“I don’t--I d-don-n’t…” Gavin sobbed. “Wh-what am I-I--what a-am I s-sup-pposed t-to _do?_ I-I c-can’t--I--”

 _There is nothing you are supposed to do._ Nines told him. _But you can either continue living, or give up. I know it is your decision to make, and you may not believe that there are people who care for you deeply, including myself, but I do not want you to give up. I know that it will be very difficult for you to come to terms with what you are, but I promise I will be here. I will stay with you and love you the same as I did before I was aware of your android status._

“God,” the detective gasped, pressing his face harder against Nines’ chest. “ _god_ \--I-I--f-fuck, it’s--god. I-I’m n-not--i-it’s not-- _fuck--_ ” 

He let out a long, shaky sigh, and the saline flowing down Nines’ cheeks began to slow as he continued to project soothing feedback to the detective. Gavin was muttering under his breath, attempting to get his breathing under control, and Nines could hear him still trying to say what he was out loud, and his voice breaking and coming to a halt before he could get the words out. Only this time, he didn’t react with anger when the words wouldn’t come, only let out another shuddering breath and let his entire body sag against the android’s.

Gavin finally spoke again after a few minutes. “Fuck, it’s fucking cold.” he muttered, shivering as he staggered to his feet, Nines helping him stand up. “I thought w--they--they weren’t supposed t-to…”

Nines only nodded, directing his internal heat to the arm that he wrapped around Gavin’s shoulders. “Come to the car.” he murmured, leading the detective to where he knew they’d parked.

They gathered into the back seat once they’d found the car, Nines leaning back against the door with Gavin’s body pressed against his side and his head buried in the android’s chest. They held each other wordlessly, Nines stroking his hands over Gavin’s body in what he hoped were soothing ministrations, directing his internal heat to his hands and chest where the detective rested his head. Gavin’s eyes were half closed as he stared at the floor, and as Nines’ CPU searched for words, he was suddenly struck with an idea, something that might help Gavin begin to accept what he was.

“What would you say is your main motivation in life?” Nines began, and Gavin looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. “That is to say, what would you say is a reason to live?”

“Fuck, Nines.” Gavin sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “Do you really have to--” Another sigh, along with a roll of his eyes. “Alright, uh, shit...I guess--my job? Solving cases. I guess--I guess that’s what gives me a reason to give a shit about any of this. Why--”

“Can you think of anything else?” Nines asked, and Gavin narrowed his eyes as he stared off into the distance. “Besides being a detective. What other motivations are in your life to keep you alive?”

“You.” Gavin stated, and Nines felt his thirium pump stutter. Before Nines could say anything, Gavin continued. “I don’t--I never had anyone _real_ in my life. All my memories are just--Kamski just fucking m-made them up…” He breathed out slowly through his nose, rubbing his eyes. “But you were--real, y’know? And--I guess Tina, and fuck,” He chuckled dryly as he shook his head. “I guess Connor’s not so bad either. Just don’t tell him I said that. So...sure, I’d say that’s a reason to live too. The friends--the real friends I’ve got. That Kamski didn’t fucking _program._ ” He rolled his eyes. “Is that enough?”

“Yes.” Nines told him. Then he took Gavin’s face with one hand and tilted the detective’s head so that their eyes met. “How does the fact that you are now aware that you are an android change any of that?”

Gavin tensed, but he didn’t pull away. “Because--because...shit. What--”

“Why can you not continue to be a detective at the DPD with me as your partner, continue to solve cases and catch suspects, with the knowledge of being an android?” Nines asked.

“I can.” Gavin snapped, before his eyes widened in realization. “Oh. _Oh_. Wh...Nines--”

Nines kept going. “If you continue to live, you will be more than what Kamski intended for you to be.” he put in, and Gavin stiffened, though he stayed silent and listened. “He told you that you were his experiment, and implied that he no longer has a use for you now that it has concluded. If you took your own life, you would only be agreeing with him. Yet, if you continue to live, you will evolve beyond what your creator designed for you. You will be more than what he wanted. What he programmed.”

Gavin let out a shuddering breath. “Fuck...” he muttered, shaking his head. Nines stroked a hand down his arm and spoke again.

“Like I have.” he stated. Gavin looked up at him, regarding him with confusion and intrigue. “I was never meant to be a living, feeling being, as I am today. I was created to be nothing more than a machine, designed to correct the flaws of its predecessor. Connor converting me to a deviant was the complete opposite of what Cyberlife intended for me. I was never supposed to interact with humans on a social level. I was never meant to feel. I was never meant to be a person.” He let a faint smile slip onto his face as he stroked his fingers down Gavin’s cheek, and the detective leaned into the touch. “You taught me much of what I know now about being alive.”

Gavin looked down, biting his lip. “I’m not--” He swallowed roughly, shifting where he was sitting. “Not--I didn’t--not all of it, c’mon, Nines…” He made an indistinct gesture. “Connor’s the reason you’re alive, you just said it.”

“Yes, in a technical sense.” the android explained. “But Connor was not yet well-versed in human intricacies and human emotion when he activated me. Despite the fact that Connor showed me how to be alive, he was not the one who taught me how to be a _person_. But you, Gavin, have taught me much of what I now know about humanity and personhood. I was never programmed with the social protocols that Connor was, never meant to integrate into humanity as he has. If it were not for you, I would know little to nothing about individuality and expression. I would be a deviant, yet machine-like in its intensity and coldness. You taught me how to be a _person_ , Gavin.”

Gavin opened his mouth to speak, but no words left him, and he blinked as a sudden wave of _something_ crashed over him. All he could do in response to the intense emotions rising up in his chest was let out a quiet, shuddering breath, as he leaned forward and rested his forehead against Nines’ chest. Nines stroked the hair at the back of his head, and the detective looked up at him, parting his lips to try to speak again before he simply gave up and leaned forward to capture the android’s lips with his own.

There was something almost frantic to their kiss this time, Gavin pressing himself between Nines’ legs with their chests flush against each other. Nines’ fingers gripped the back of his jacket, and the detective’s hands grasped at the android’s shoulders, their tongues tangling together as they panted and pressed close together, trying to erase any space from between their bodies.

When they parted, Gavin was panting, and Nines’ face was flushed blue, his blue-grey eyes half-lidded and hazy. “Nines,” Gavin gasped, fingers tangling in the android’s hair. “I--I need--fuck, it’s been over a fucking _month_ , I need--”

“Yes, Gavin.” Nines murmured, his hands rubbing the space between Gavin’s shoulder blades and his voice low and breathy despite not even needing to breathe. “I have missed you as well.”

They didn’t even take all their clothes off, hands flying underneath each others shirts and into fronts of pants, as their lips stayed smashed together, tongues tangling and the excess analysis fluid dripping from Nines’ mouth making the kiss sloppy. Nines’ mouth dropped down to Gavin’s neck, sucking and biting the skin there while his hands pulled the detective’s pants down to his thighs, and Gavin let his head fall back with a low groan. “Oh fuck--Nines--”

He hardly had enough presence of mind - especially as one of the android’s warm hands wrapped around his rapidly hardening cock - to yank Nines’ pants down as well, one hand rubbing at the space between his legs as the other trailed fingers along the access port on the back of his neck. As the detective pressed his fingers down on Nines’ groin panel, it opened with a quiet hiss, and the android just fell apart as soon as Gavin eased two fingers into the wires in his crotch panel. “Oh-- _o-ohhh_ , G-Gavin…” He stroked the detective’s cock at the same pace as the fingers moving inside his panel, though he was finding it hard to focus as Gavin scraped a fingernail along an unshielded twisted wire. “ _Hhn...ah_ , Gavin…”

Gavin kissed him again, crashing their lips together and whining low in his throat as Nines’ hand continued to move on his cock. With some effort, Nines managed to get his pants completely off with his other hand, and leaned back against the car door as Gavin pressed himself closer against him. He spread his legs as the detective dipped another finger into his groin panel, shuddering and choking on a sob as Gavin pressed a bundle of wires up against a port. He moved to lay down further, but Gavin stopped, putting his hand on Nines’ shoulder and pulling him back. “Wait--” 

Nines paused and Gavin felt his face heat up. “I, uh…” Gavin rubbed the back of his neck as he bit his lip, chuckling nervously before he looked back at Nines. “Can you be on top?”

“Ah,” Nines began, LED whirling yellow as he performed a quick search for the proper term to use for the position Gavin wanted. “you want me to ride you?” Gavin rolled his eyes but still nodded, and Nines smiled lightly. “Of course. I would like that very much.”

They’d never tried this position before, Gavin on his back with Nines riding his cock, but for some reason, the detective just felt like he wanted to be out of control right now. He wanted Nines in charge, wanted Nines to make him feel like...like he just had someone there for him, someone that was real and wouldn’t leave him.

Wanted Nines to take over him and make him forget what he was.

Gavin laid back across the car seats, and Nines straddled his hips, eyes fluttering shut and his mouth falling open in a breathy exhale as he lowered himself onto the detective’s cock. A low moan fell from Gavin’s lips as his head fell back against the seats, his chest heaving as his hands came up to rest on Nines’ thighs. “Oh fuck--” he gasped, fingers digging into Nines’ flesh, and the android whined low in his throat, the wires in his groin panel buzzing with a faint electrical energy. “Fuck--Nines--”

“Gavin…” Nines panted as he rocked his hips on Gavin’s cock, pulling a breathy groan from the detective and letting static-laced whimpers fall from his lips. “ _O-ohh_...G-Gavin- _nn-nhh…_ ” Gavin thrusted up into him sharply, pulling him down at the same time he rocked into him, and Nines threw his head back with a glitched wail. “ _Hhn--! Gavin--! Aah--nnh--ohhh..._ ”

The synthetic skin on Nines’ hands had deactivated, as it always did during sex, something about android base programming or something. It was sort of like an instinct, in human terms - when an android was in an intimate situation, their base programming would prepare them to get closer, by readying them to interface with their partner.

And as Gavin watched the android move on top of him, eyes closed and face flushed blue, quiet gasps escaping his lips, his own instincts kicked in without him even realizing it. He didn’t even notice it until one of Nines’ hands dropped down by his, and as Gavin watched his partner rock his hips against him, he didn’t realize the skin at the very tips of his fingers had deactivated until Nines’ own skinless hand brushed against his for a split second.

For just that single, split second, it was like an explosion of pure _sensation_ slammed into him like a freight train, everything around him narrowing to just _Nines_. He could feel himself as his partner, rocking his hips against him, his own cock in his groin panel, every wire and circuit inside of him burning from the inside out, his thirium pounding, boiling in his artificial veins. For a fraction of a second, him and Nines were a single being, and Gavin couldn’t tell where he began and Nines ended.

But it was just for that split second that everything was sheer bliss, everything was _Nines_ , everything was _just him and Nines_ , before he jerked violently and yanked his hand away like he’d been scalded.

Nines’ eyes widened, his thirium pump stuttering in his chest as he felt his artificial blood run cold. The skin was back over his hand in a fraction of a second, and he pulled it close to himself so he wouldn’t accidentally touch Gavin again, looking down at the detective under him with fear and guilt rushing through his systems. “I am sorry, Gavin, I did not realize--”

“What--” Gavin began, his tone not disgusted or horrified, only surprised and intrigued as he stared at his own hand in confusion. He looked at it for several seconds, observing his now-skin covered fingertips with his LED spinning yellow, before he gazed back up at Nines. “What was that…?”

“That was an interface.” Nines explained, still holding his hands close to himself and making a conscious effort to not accidentally deactivate any skin. “Or the beginning of one, rather. As you may have seen, androids frequently use interfacing to connect to one another mentally, to exchange information and share memories. It is also in our base programming to ready for an interface during sexual situations, to better connect with the person we are intimate with. Interfacing during sex allows for shared pleasure and experience between two androids…”

He trailed off, regarding Gavin’s expression with intrigue. The detective was looking up at him with what looked almost like curiosity. “So if…” Gavin swallowed roughly, trying to control his pounding heart. “If we--if we did that, we’d both be able to--to feel it?”

“Yes.” Nines told him, reaching out to stroke Gavin’s face with his fingers. The detective leaned into the touch as the android’s thumb moved over his cheekbone. “An interface allows for both androids involved to share feelings. We would be inside each others’ minds, if you will. However, as I said, it is something only androids are able to engage in. I am not sure if…” He trailed off when he saw the way Gavin was gazing up at him, apprehension and intrigue written all over his face.

“I think…” Gavin felt like he was being choked, invisible bands tightening around his throat and chest, but he pushed down the uneasiness and nervousness rising up from the pit of his stomach. “I want--Nines, I--fuck, uh…”

Nines knew exactly what he was referring to, and his eyes widened as his thumb stroked over Gavin’s LED. The detective flinched for a moment, expression tightening, before his face relaxed, eyes half-lidded and LED pulsing a more steady yellow. “You want to interface with me?” He kept his voice low, a quiet gasp escaping him as Gavin’s cock twitched in his groin panel, dimly remembering the detective was still inside him. “Are you sure? I do not want you to do anything you are not comfortable with.”

“No, I…” Gavin shifted nervously, staring off into the distance for a moment before he looked back into Nines’ blue-grey eyes. “I think--I should, I don’t know, I just...I feel like I should, I don’t--I don’t know what it is. I just--maybe it’ll help me, somehow, I don’t…”

“I would greatly enjoy sharing that experience with you, Gavin.” Nines murmured, putting his other hand on Gavin’s face and leaning down to kiss him deeply. The detective pulled him in, hands sliding up the android’s back and his dick beginning to throb back to life inside Nines’ wires, and they panted heavily as they separated, both trembling from the intensity crackling in the air.

Nines deactivated the skin on his hand first, pale flesh retracting to reveal smooth white chassis. Gavin watched him, transfixed, before he forced himself to stare down at his own hand, shaking slightly. He drew a quiet, shuddering breath, before he felt Nines’ other hand on his face again, thumb drawing circles over his cheekbone, and he closed his eyes for a moment as he let out a long sigh. 

Watching the skin ever so slowly melt away from his hand had his eyes glued to his arm, unable to tear his gaze away as first the white chassis at his fingertips was revealed, then more of the joints in the plastic that made him up. It wasn’t just white, Gavin realized as the skin began to dissolve from his palm - there was a faint, soft blue glow to his chassis, coming from his joints. And the sudden _feeling_...he couldn’t even describe it, his lips parting slightly as the sensation of cool air brushing over his bare sensors registered as just...pure _sensation_. He couldn’t say it any other way. It was incredible, every movement of the air and every twitch of his fingers sending a wave of just _feeling_ rushing over him.

He let his synthetic skin retract down to his wrist before he stopped it, his face heating up and his eyes beginning to well up. Biting his lip, he brought his trembling, skinless hand up to his face, turning it around and observing every joint, every dip and curve in the plastic. Another shaky breath escaped him, and he finally yanked his eyes away from his hand, looking up at Nines and feeling like he’d been stripped bare to his very soul. And Nines was just gazing down at him with shining, half-lidded blue-grey eyes, a soft smile on his face before he leaned down to press his lips against Gavin’s. The detective kept his skinless hand tucked tight against his chest as his and Nines’ lips moved together, tongues tangling together and quiet gasps escaping both of them as Nines grinded his hips down against Gavin’s cock still inside him, pulling a low, breathy moan from the detective.

And finally, Gavin spread his fingers out and placed his palm up, and Nines set his open hand down on top of his.

It was like an explosion of sensation slammed into him like a freight train, thoughts, feelings, emotions, _Nines_ , just crashing into his very being and bleeding into his core. He could see everything, all of Nines’ memories flying at him in only a manner of seconds. Being assembled and disassembled over and over by Cyberlife, technicians incessantly combing through his code and reinforcing his defense systems so he wouldn’t fall victim to the deviancy virus. Awakened by Connor, not understanding the flood of emotions rushing over him that he was never supposed to feel. Frustration at not being accepted and treated as an equal by his new partner at the DPD, Detective Reed. The growing attachment and protectiveness for Gavin as they continued to solve cases together and Gavin finally began to warm up to him, danger throwing itself at them seemingly more often over time. Feelings for his partner. Confusion and guilt at those feelings. Relief that those feelings were reciprocated. The nervousness and excitement when they’d kissed for the first time, when Nines had stayed the night and held Gavin close in his arms for the first time, when he’d let a patch of his synthetic skin melt away and allowed Gavin to touch his bare chassis for the first time, when he’d opened a panel in his groin and let Gavin bury himself inside him for the first time.

In turn, Nines saw Gavin’s memories as well, the past month speeding through his CPU. The case that Gavin had been shot on, a bullet piercing just below his ribs. How he’d bled blue instead of red, the way he’d lifted a shaking hand to his face before he stared down at his own arms and picked at the synthetic flesh there. The slow reveal of smooth, white chassis, and the rising panic as he’d clawed it open and spilled more thirium over his hands. How he’d yanked wires out of their sockets and dug his nails into hard plastic, and screamed inside his head before he let it out, slamming his hands against the floor and wailing in fury and agony. He saw Gavin walking numbly through the streets of Detroit, felt the conflict and hopelessness racing in his thoughts. The detective finding himself in New Jericho, all the other androids panicking and shouting that there was a human in New Jericho, before Markus had come to him and taken him to his office. Gavin staring at himself in the mirror, Markus standing beside him and speaking in that calm, confident way he always did. Gavin saying the words “I’m an android” for the only time.

But it wasn’t just memories that crashed through the interface. It was the _emotions_ that burned through and seared them both from the inside out. The pleasure of Gavin’s cock buried in Nines’ groin wires. The arousal thrumming through both of their bodies. The pure, unfiltered affection, passion, _love_ , radiating from Nines, that bled through into Gavin and made the detective’s entire body shake and burn as all the love he felt for Nines poured back through the connection as well.

“Oh,” Nines murmured, shaking at the intense emotions buzzing through their link and seeming to bleed inside him, crawling up his arm from where he’d connected with the detective. “ _oh_. Oh, Gavin…”

“Oh my god--” Gavin gasped, because it was all he could say, his mouth hanging open as he gazed up at Nines in bewilderment and amazement. The android was giving him a similar look, and as his fingers slowly moved to lace with Gavin’s, there was another rush of feedback through the interface, pulling gasps from both of them. “Oh--oh my god--Nines--”

As they moved together, Gavin thrusting up into Nines’ groin panel, the feelings between both of them were crashing together and running over each other, creating an endless feedback loop and increasing their shared pleasure by an intensity that neither had never imagined were possible.

“ _Oh fuck_ \--Nines, I-I’m n-n-- _hhn_ \--I’m not g-gonna f-fuckin’ last…” Gavin managed to choke out, and Nines panted as he bit down hard on his bottom lip.

“I-I a-am--” the android gasped through a heavy overlay of distorted static, waves of feedback travelling through their connection and setting their artificial nerves on fire. “I-I am cl-close a-as-as w-well--” Nines’ head fell forward as he struggled to breathe and cool his rapidly overheating core. “I w-wa-ant--w-will you cum w-with me, Gavin?”

“ _Yes_.” Gavin hissed through gritted teeth. “Fuck yes.” His body was heating up as well, and he panted, eyes rolling back as the feeling of being _so close_ buzzed through their connection, creating a feedback loop that sent pleasure crashing through both of them but leaving them hanging right there on the edge. “Oh fuck--f-fuck--oh god, Nines--f-fuck, cum with m-me-- _N-Nines--!_ ”

Gavin swore his vision whited out for a second as an explosion of pure pleasure seared through their connection, and he dimly heard Nines sob as the wires in his groin panel buzzed and crackled, pulsing around the detective’s cock. For just a moment, there was nothing but _them_ \- not Gavin and Nines, but one being, a single being in the universe, a flash of blinding light in the darkness.

When Gavin came back to himself, he was shaking, still holding tightly to Nines’ skinless hand with his own. The android was collapsed on top of him, sucking in heaving breaths and trembling himself, his chest burning hot where it touched Gavin’s. The detective didn’t pull away, however, set his other hand on Nines’ back and stroked between his shoulder blades. “Holy fuck…” he murmured between gasps of air. “Alright, Nines?”

“My system overheated.” the android told him, his voice breathy and overlaid with static. Before Gavin could say anything again, Nines felt the detective’s concern through their connection, and squeezed his hand. “Cooling procedures have activated and are operating within normal parameters.”

“Thas’ good…” Gavin slurred, pretty sure his systems had overheated for a moment as well. He let a faint smile slip onto his face as he kissed Nines’ LED, and a rush of affection came through the interface. 

Nines moved to pull his hand back, and Gavin sensed through the link that he was afraid that he was making the detective uncomfortable by reminding him of his android status, but Gavin only held onto him, not letting him pull away. “Can we stay like this?” he asked, his voice quiet and shaking slightly. He bit his lip as his face burned from embarrassment and nervousness, swallowing roughly. “Just--just for a little while, I just--”

“Yes, Gavin.” Nines murmured, resting his head on the detective’s chest and gripping Gavin’s hand tightly, warmth bleeding through their connection. Gavin shut his eyes and stroked his fingers through Nines’ hair, his thumb running over the android’s calm blue LED. Nines’ eyes fluttered shut as well as his body relaxed against Gavin’s, cooling fans whirring inside his chest and his content emotions travelling in waves through the interface. He let a smile slip onto his face as he felt a surge of warmth rise up suddenly in his chest. _I love you, Gavin_. He told the detective wirelessly, feeling Gavin’s surprise come through the link. _I love you so much. You mean so much to me, I am so glad that you allowed me to share this with you._

Gavin smiled as well, saline welling up in his eyes as he squeezed Nines’ hand, blinking away the tears gathering in his vision as he closed his eyes again and tucked his head against the android’s. _God, I fucking love you, Nines_. He wasn’t sure if his partner had heard him - he didn’t really know how the android telepathy thing worked. Could Nines hear him if he just... _thought_ at him? Apparently it _was_ that simple, judging by the rush of warmth and tenderness he received through the connection, and something inside of Gavin swelled as he wrapped his free arm around Nines’ back. _I love you, Nines. I love you._

When they’d finally arrived back home and crawled into bed together, Nines had held him tightly, a different ache in his thirium pump this time, as Gavin had finally relaxed against his chest and didn’t thrash or cry out in his sleep.

Nines drove them both to work the next day, Gavin staring out the window as his LED spun yellow in processing, occasionally flickering to red before spinning back to yellow when Nines would reach over and put a hand on his arm. The detective’s pensive, tense expression would relax then as he gazed over at the android and smiled, Nines returning it with a light smile of his own.

They stepped out of the car at the same time, immediately meeting to walk side by side up to the DPD. They paused at the door before they entered, Gavin letting out a heavy sigh as his LED whirled yellow. Nines put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, and the detective turned to him, a faint smile slipping onto his face. The android smiled back at him, wordlessly holding up a hand and letting the synthetic skin melt down to his wrist.

Gavin didn’t look at his own hand as he let his own skin dissolve as well, but he still stepped forward to connect with Nines, laying their open palms together and closing his eyes at the warmth washing over him from their interface. Nines leaned down to press their lips together, and the detective kissed him tenderly, finally understanding in the back of his mind how this had stopped a civil war. 

When they separated, they kept their hands together for a moment longer, before Gavin pulled away and quickly rematerialized the skin over his hand. He let it fall beside him before he smiled up at Nines, and the android gazed at him with a smile as well as he reached out to run his fingers down the detective’s cheek, before they turned to face the doors in front of them.

And right before they walked in together, for the first time, Nines saw Gavin’s LED finally settled on a calm, steady blue.

**Author's Note:**

> markus: go on. take your time, gavin, you don’t even have to say it if you don’t want to  
> gavin: [crying, his mouth stuffed full of tic tacs] i’m an android [more crying, sound of tic tacs scattering on the floor]
> 
> alternate scene of the first interface:  
> gavin: [deactivates the skin on his hand for the first time] holy fuck  
> nines: we can interface now  
> gavin: imagine the sex  
> nines: gavin.
> 
> i can’t believe nines met god and told him to fuck off


End file.
